Falling Together
by RetroSweet
Summary: Lost in a new world trying to find his way Steve Rogers finds out what it really means to be a hero.
1. Chapter 1

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." – Marilyn Monroe

Time changes all things; building got bigger, cars got faster, fashion models got thinner, and people got a lot ruder. Yes time does change all things, all things but two. Steve Rogers remains the same as he was about 70 years ago. He served his country and saved the world and as his payment he was being thrown into this shiny new world. A world where everything seemed so big and yet so isolated all he wanted was to be back in his little home with Peggy in his arms. But she was gone, she moved on with her life after Steve went missing. A part of him still feels missing like S.H.I.E.L.D . left a piece of him frozen in the ice.

The other thing, the thing Steve knows time will never change is war. Though wars range from big to small, foes can be one person or an army of thousands, they are always happening. Steve fought one back in the 40s but most recently he fought one against the Chitauri, an alien fleet he had no idea existed. In the end, he beat the Chitauri a long side the Avengers, a group of misfits with unique abilities. Since then the group has mostly went their separate ways; Thor left for his home but is heard to often return to a small town in New Mexico, Bruce now lives in Stark's "Avenger Tower" doing work with the big headed billionaire, the two assassins Natasha and Barton come and go to the tower while mostly keeping their happenings to themselves, and the Captain would turn up for assignments but mostly stayed away. Steve didn't live far from the Avenger Tower, once the Stark Tower that was severely damaged in the Chitauri attack, he took his job at S.H.I.E.D. seriously, it was really the one thing he had but he had a hard time dealing with Tony Stark.

Steve hated that even now just staring out the window of his modest apartment he could see the tower but he hated all the big buildings that clog up the once beautiful city. He spent several hours like this sitting at his window with a book in his strong hands trying to catch up with the times. If he wasn't here he was on a mission or he was at the gym. It was rare to find him wandering the streets; he didn't like the smell and would also get lost in the unfamiliar roads but today was different. The sun shining through the window was making him hot and was too bright to sit there peacefully and loneliness was starting to creep under his skin.

As he got up and made his way to the street he briefly considered going to see Bruce but he couldn't stand to even think of the snide comments he would most defiantly receive from Stark. So he just walked. At first he tried to remember the street signs and store front so he could find his way home but after a few blocks he lost his focus and turned off all his thoughts. Soon he stumbled on a park; he'd never seen something so green and beautiful. He smiled as he avoided tripping over the laughing children that carelessly ran through his path. Steve hadn't smelled grass or seen birds other than pigeons in so long; the whole place brought a kind of warmth to his heart. He continued his stroll through the park with a goofy smile plastered across his face. People that he past would smile back or give him a look of confusion but he didn't notice them much.

Suddenly someone caught his eye and he stopped dead in his tracks. A young woman was walking his way, her heels clinking against the pavement creating a rhythm of her own. Her dress was nothing like what the women today wear, the cut showed her curves perfectly but still covered her in a modest way. Her lips were painted a dark velvety red and her green eyes that where splashed with browns where circled with black that curved into a flawless cats eye, it complemented her pale but freckled face. Steve couldn't believe what he was seeing and tears threatened to come to his eyes.

"Peggy…" He choked out. The woman stopped and shot him a confused glance.

"Excuse me?"

He blinked hard and blood rushed to his cheeks as he really looked at the girl. It wasn't Peggy that he was looking at but a woman dressed in clothes that resembled what he was used to, what he liked. Her dress was a navy blue with little white poka-dots covering it. The collar was large and ended just below her perfect breast framing them. She wore a large black belt at her natural waist which showed off how thin she actually is. The bottom of the dress flares out in a circle and hits her knee. The stockings seemed authentic, sheer but there is a tan seam that traces up her the back of her legs. Finally she completed the outfit with a pair of ruby red heels that made the short women a few inches taller. Her hair was styled the way Peggy would often wear it, wavy with a slight curl at the end but it a little longer and not Peggy's soft brown but a dark unnatural black. Her hazel eyes grew concerned and she took a step away from the man that was caught up in his own memory.

"I… I'm sorry ma'am. You reminded of someone." He forced a smile, "Your dress is lovely."

"Oh. Thank you," She smiled up at him but there was still concern showing through her eyes. But it lessened as she notices how embarrassed and almost heartbroken the man looked. "Um… and my name is actually Eden."


	2. Chapter 2

"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." –Albert Einstein

It was strange how one lonesome outing and one meaningless encounter altered Steve's view of the city. He found himself starting to like it even though it was dirty and the people withdrawn. However, he felt foolish that all this change happened when a pretty girl out of her own time smiled at him.

"I… I'm sorry ma'am. You reminded of someone." He forced a smile, "Your dress is lovely."

"Oh. Thank you," She smiled up at him but there was still concern showing through her eyes. But it lessened as she notices how embarrassed and almost heartbroken the man looked. "Um… and my name is actually Eden."

"Beautiful name for a beautiful dame," the words escaped his lips before he could really think about what he was saying. He shook off his embarrassment and extended his hand, "Steve Rogers."

She didn't take his hand, only looked at it before shooting him another uncomfortable smile, "Well it's nice to meet you Steve Rogers but I should really be going."

With that she hurried on her way. Steve worried he offended the girl somehow, he still had no idea how to talk to women. He blushed one more time as he watched her walk away, fallowing the seam of her stockings up the back of her legs, before continuing with his walk.

He knew it wasn't likely that he'd ever see her again but he'd remember that smile for quite some time.

"I think they killed one too many brain cells when they flash froze the Capsicle over there," Tony Stark teased after seeing Steve smiling as he absentmindedly stared across the room.

Recently, Steve had been spending more time at Shark's over grown tower. His jokes and comments didn't seem to affect him the way it used to, sometimes Steve would even join in in the laughter at his own expense. Steve knew that sitting alone in his small apartment was only feeding his loneliness and the Avengers were the closest thing he had to friends. Though most of them teased and poked at him, he found comfort in the group.

Natasha rolled her eyes and the other two men gave a slight chuckle at the joke. She never seemed like the type to burst into laughter at Tony's jokes. She had a soft side, Steve thought he could see it a couple of times but more often than not she did a very good job at hiding it.

Most of them where just doing busy work, passing the time with silly unimportant tasks and this could easily become a bashing on him. The smile still stretched across his face as he winked at Natasha and excused himself. Steve didn't like the inside of the tower almost as much as he didn't like the exterior. The walls and decor looked painfully like a doctor's office as it tried to force the homely, relaxed feel. The elevator he was standing in had wooden wall which gave it a nice touch but the ceiling was a shiny mirror like metal which he believed Stark put in to discretely look down women's shirts. Though he hated the way Stark was with women, a part of Steve wished he could talk to women with as much ease as Tony.

Steve wasn't in any rush as he walked through the cement garage to his motorcycle. He had nowhere else to go but home. He loved his bike and the way the air pricked at his face as he drove fast through the busy streets. The skies were a bit more gray than normal but though rain seemed to want to break its way through, every few seconds the sun would shine between cracks in the clouds making the day warm. Most of the people he passed on the street were in shorts and skirts. One noticeable person in shorts was a woman on the side of the road. She was giving a few swift kicks to her car, a cherry red convertible. Steve thought for a second and then it came to him, it was the girl from the park- Eden. He did a quick and probably illegal U turn and parked behind her.

He was cautious as he approached; she gave her car one last kick and cursed, "God damn it, Noah! I'm never letting you touch her again!"

"Excuse me ma'am?"

"What?" She snapped, Steve took a step back a bit alarmed, her face softened, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap… It's just not a good day. Can I help you?"

Steve smiled, today she wasn't all dolled up. She was wearing Chuck Taylors which showed that she couldn't be any taller than 5'2", shorts, and a black shirt with had the words "Pink Floyd" on it. Even when she didn't remind him of his own time, he still liked the way she looked but even though Steve looked just as he did a few days ago the girl didn't seem to remember him. "Actually I was going to see you needed some help."

"Oh," she laughed, "No I'm alright, I'm just going to call a tow… Wait! You're the man from the park, aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am, I am."

Her face turned a shade of pink, "Geez, I'm sorry, I'm so bad at meeting people. I'm Eden; I don't remember your name…"

"I remember you Eden, I'm Steve."

She smiled, gave an almost relaxed sigh, and sat on the hood of her car. "Well Steve, have you ever owned a classic car?" He shook he head. "Good. Don't. I love this car but classics are so unreliable and never work."

Before he could say anything she pulled her phone out and punched in some numbers. Steve stood there awkwardly as she made her phone call. Her eyes never left the spot in the road to look at him or her surroundings as she talked. Her eyes didn't even rise as she finished the call, got off the car, and started to walk and awkwardly collided with Steve. Her tiny frame shaken after she hit the soldier's body, he didn't budge. She looked a little stunned at him, "Oh. You're still here… Sorry about that."

"Yes ma'am, I wanted to make sure you got the help you need."

She gave an uncomfortable laugh, feeling uneasy at the way he lurked, "yeah I'll be fine. Its Eden by the way, the ma'am thing kinda makes me feel old. But my tow guy is going to take care of the car and I'm going to get a cab to head home."

"Let me drive you," he pointed to the bike with a smile, "save your money."

She paused for a second; she's not the kind of girl that just jumped on the back of a motorcycle with a guy she didn't know. Well not anymore. But she didn't have much money for a cab and the car would probably cost more than she has. So she cautiously agreed.

She climbed on the back of the bike and hung onto the sides of the stranger. Steve brought the bike to life and sped off. It didn't take long to get to their destination, however as he helped her off his Harley he noticed the large neon sign in the window. He shot her a quizzical look, "You live here?"

"No," she laughed and she brushed herself off, "I live down the street but since I don't know you and probably shouldn't tell you where I live I had you drop me off here. Also they have the best pie and I owe you a slice for going out of your way to help a complete stranger."

He held the door open for her, "Well I always like pie. But it was really no problem I like helping people. Plus you're not a total stranger. You're Eden, a pretty girl who doesn't like being called "ma'am"."

She smiled at his awkward but sweet attempt at flirting and yelled to the man across the counter before sitting in a booth, "Hey Tommy, two slices of apple please."

"No problem doll face."

The two sat silent for a moment, her brain racing to try and find something to say to the man that sat opposite from her. She peaked up at him, her gaze falling on his blue eyes, his perfectly placed hair, and his broad shoulders. Her shy glances were interrupted when tommy placed the pie in front of them.

"Thank you," she smiled at him before looking back Steve, "I… I hope you like apple. It's kind of an American classic and one of my favorites."

He laughed, "I thought classics never work out."

"Only when it comes to my 64 ford falcon; the food, clothes, and the way they made men back then was amazing."

He chuckled to himself as he took a bite of the pie. Really was one of the best pies he'd had in a long time. "You are really into the vintage stuff huh?"

"Yes," she blushed, "I know it's weird but I love the 40's and 50's style and way of life."

"I don't think it's weird Eden. Not at all. It's kind of… refreshing."

"What do you mean?"

Steve paused and once again shook away his memories, "Never mind. So are you from New York?"

"No I moved here when my mother passed away about two years ago. I'm from Indiana. What about you?"

Steve didn't know if she was just being polite by asking but her pie was gone and her full attention was on him. "Brooklyn born and raised. Why did you decide on New York?"

"Well it's kind of a long story," she rolled her eyes.

Steve sat back and made himself comfortable, "I've got time and room for more pie."


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright folks, I am back from my little break. I'm sorry I left but I'm back into this story. Thank you to those who have reviewed and fallowed. **

**Comments and reviews are very much appreciated! I'd get chapters out quicker with your input! **

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Why did you decide on New York?"

"Well it's kind of a long story," she rolled her eyes.

Steve sat back and made himself comfortable, "I've got time and room for more pie."

Her smile grew, "Well let's get you that pie then."

He felt almost childish as he smiled back at the girl. It had been so long since he just sat and talked with someone. As far as he could tell Eden enjoyed his company, her green eyes sparkled when she'd look up at him and her laugh gave him warmth he thought he lost long ago.

"I'm from a small town in Indiana," she laughed, "the names not important- no one remembers it anyway."

"Well it still must have been a nice place."

"Yeah it was nice I guess just… small. Wasn't much to see and everyone knew your business. Small town, small minds." Steve noticed her eyes trail off as she lost herself in thought. He almost didn't want to interrupt her thoughts, he could stare at her forever but he knew the silence couldn't last much longer.

"So you wanted to see what the big city was like?"

"No it wasn't that." She shook her head and smiled softly, "I just had no one left there after my parents died. So I came here to see my brother Noah and I never left."

Eden asked about Steve, just simple things like his family, his job, etc. Steve figured out quickly that he couldn't tell the whole truth about his life. If he told her, or most people for that matter, that he was really born in 1922, got pumped up with a body building serum, frozen in ice after saving the world only to return 70 years later to save the world again but this time from an alien invasion… well she'd probably run away screaming. So he stuck to half-truths; he was Steve Rogers, an average Joe from Brooklyn who joined the army a few years ago. He learned a bit about her, she began to get more comfortable as the conversation went on. She worked for a well-known catering company.

"A job that pays the bills but has to thrills," She smirked, "I wanted to get into the actual baking part of things but after a year and a half I'm still a waitress."

He also found out that her idols were Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page, she didn't like talking about her brother or when they put nuts in cookies, her favorite color was blue, and she is a sucker for a corny joke or pun.

After several more pie pieces of pie, the conversation began to die down and she glanced at her clock. "Well Steve, it was really nice talking to you but I should probably go find out what Noah did to my car. Thank you for your help."

"Of course, it was my pleasure." He gave a half-hearted smile, not wanting the meeting to end. The couple made their way out of the diner and stopped at Steve's. They stood in awkward silence for a moment while Steve got up the nerve to add, "I-I'd love to do this again sometime…"

A smile grew on her face and a shade of pink appeared on her cheeks, "I'd love that too… Here." She scribbled her name and number on a napkin and handed it to him.

"I'll see you a round Steve Rogers." The smile still painted on her pale face and once again The Captain found himself watching her walk away. He was smiling too, like an idiot.

As he put the piece of paper in his pocket and brought his bike back to life he contemplated his next move. The thoughts quickly wiped the smile off his face because he realized that he had no clue what to do now.

* * *

After two days of silently battling with himself about Eden, some the team started to notice Steve's ever constant lack of focus.

"What's going on Cap," Natasha asked, "You seem more… distant than usual."

He wasn't sure if this was something he could talk about with the assassin but who else could he talk to? Bruce always has his head in a book, he wasn't sure were Clint stood on romantic feelings, and Tony is Tony. Steve rubbed the back of his neck and sighed in defeat.

"I met this woman…"

Natasha smiled, showing that soft side that not very many people got to see.

"I really don't know what to do," the soldier confessed, "When it comes to women, I'm just so lost. The only person I've ever loved is Peggy and I don't think I'm ready to let go of that, to let go of her. But I have these feelings about Eden. She is such a kind and beautiful person and in a way I want to explore those feeling. I… I just don't know. I don't know why I'm so intrigued by Eden but after we met I felt the first bit of warmth I've felt in a long time. She gave me her number, I want to call her and feel that warmth again but I don't know if I can. I can't tell her who or what I am. Could I even be in a real relationship? What about Peggy?"

"Ok Cap, calm down," Natasha raised her hands, stopping his rambling, "You are over thinking this. Would like to hear what I think?"

He nodded with looked of desperation and made room for her on the couch next to him. "First off, Peggy is gone Steve, you can't let her memory hold you back and keep you lonely. Second, this Eden girl, you met her two weeks ago didn't you? Right before you started hanging around here? We all noticed that you seemed happier and if it's because of this girl than you should keep seeing her. You don't have to jump into a big passionate romance, you could just to know her and become her friend and see where that takes you."

"But what if-" She cut him off.

"Steve, I live my life thinking about that 'what ifs' and it has saved my ass sometimes but made me miserable in other ways. Take from a girl who knows, those 'what ifs' will hold you back and break your heart."

He was silent for a moment, surprised for at her honesty and compassion. "Thank you Nat."

"Any time, Cap." She smiled and gave him a hit on the arm, getting back to her tough exterior. She stood up and made way out the room but stopped and looked back at him as she reached the door, "Call her."

That's when Steve Rogers decide there was no going back. He let out a sigh, pulled out his phone, and wished for the best.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve decided to take Natasha's advice. He gulped down all his worries and thoughts and called Eden. Well actually he called a Chinese Food place first; he still had a hard time with cell phones and ended up dialing the wrong number. When he finally got the right number and the right person, he couldn't help but blush as he stuttered out the words asking to meet her again. The woman's voice on the other line of phone seemed thrilled to hear from him and answered almost too quickly to his request. They decided to meet at the diner again but this time for lunch instead of just pie.

It was 12 o'clock when Steve started to get nervous, he only had a half an hour before he had to meet Eden at her favorite diner. He made the mistake of planning their lunch on a day he had a meeting at the Tower. The meeting was simple, just an easy debriefing on a little incident a day or two ago. The hard part was getting away and keeping his whereabouts a secret. As of now the person that knew about Eden was Natasha and Steve wanted to keep it that way. He wasn't ready to hear the endless jokes and possible ridicule.

The meeting ended and the Captain made a beeline for the door.

"What's your rush, Rogers?" Tony asked in a mocking voice, "I didn't think you hated us that much."

Steve stopped and gave a fake laugh, trying to think of something witty to say but he was no Stark.

Bruce then piped in to fill the slightly awkward silence, "We're going to grab some lunch, how about you join us Steve?"

Steve started to panic.

"Actually Cap and I have plans," Natasha said in stern voice, "So we'll be passing on lunch."

Tony raised an eyebrow but the two were gone before he could say anything.

Steve really didn't know what to say as they made their way to the parking garage. "Thank you Nat."

"You owe me. Now go, you're going to be late." She winked at him.

12:32

Steve walked into the diner, flustered by his tardiness but as he examined the diner he noticed that Eden wasn't there yet. He gave a sigh of relief as he took a seat in a nearby booth and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and people were smiling. The door opened and Eden walked in, bringing with her the smell of sugar.

"Hi Steve, sorry I'm a little late. I was baking and lost track of the time."

He stood up as she reached the table, "I just got here myself."

They stood there just looking at each other for a moment. Noticing this, Eden laughed and slid into her seat.

"How's it going Steve?"

The couple exchanged pleasantries and talked about their morning, Eden made a pineapple upside down cake and Steve had a meeting. The idea of telling Eden that he was actually Captain America and a part of the Avengers made Steve's stomach turn. He was very proud of who he was but when people learn who he is he usually gets bombarded with questions which are usually too person, from people who either love him or hate him. For now, he wanted her to get to know him and not be blinded by a mask.

Their lunch went well, they talked about all kind of things and Steve enjoyed the food. Eden finally had to go, neither of them really wanting to leave but work was calling her name. They decided to meet for lunch again in a couple of days. These lunch dates happened a few more time and Steve and Eden started opening up more. Steve shared stories about losing Bucky and Peggy, about his parents, about being a small kid and being bullied, he just left out the part that this all happened over 60 years ago. Eden talked about losing her parents, dropping out of college, and other personal things but when Steve would ask about her brother she would never say much.

Steve decided that these little lunch dates were nice but they had to stop. He wanted to take her out on a real date.

"…and his turkey just slid right off his plate and right into his lap," she laughed, "I thought I was going to die right then and there!"

Steve laughed at her story of what happened at work last night, "Well I hear those turkeys can be a bit wild."

"At least I have tomorrow and Friday night off. It'll be a nice little break."

She smiled and so did Steve, seeing an opening to casually ask her to dinner.

"Wonderful," he swallowed, trying to build the courage, "Maybe. Would you like to joi-" He was cut off.

"Hey Little Eden!" A man slid in next to Eden, getting too close. She stiffened and her face grew cold as he snaked an arm around her shoulder. "Who's the hunk?" The man looked over Steve with glazed, dilated eyes. He was dress in black, tight black jeans that matched his leather jacket and fedora which covered messy blond hair.

Eden pushed him away, "This is Steve. Steve this is-"

"Ah! This is the fella you can't shut up about."

He shifted forward, leaning on the counter to getting a better look at Steve. Eden's jaw clenched and her beautiful face turning even harder, Steve made a tight fist under the table uncomfortable by the situation and finding himself growing angry to see Eden his way.

"This is Noah. My brother." She nearly growled. "Go home Noah. You need a shower."

"Come on, Little Eden, I wanna talk to your new _friend_ here." He smirked.

Plus racing, she finally turned to face her bother and in a hushed tone she sternly said, "Noah. Go home. Now."

For a second he just looked at her, swaying in his seat, he finally smiled, "Alright, alright." He pulled on a pair of dark sun glasses as he stood up. He shot another look at Steve and added "But I wanna talk to this guy, Little Eden. Sooner or later."

"Goodbye Noah."

When he left, Eden let her head fall into her hands of a second, collecting herself. Steve sat there, not knows what to say, as he did through the whole encounter with Noah. She gave Steve an exhausted look, "Steve, I am so sorry. He is an ass. And I'm really mad at him right now. I-I'm just sorry."

He smiled and reached across the table for her hand, the first time he's ever done that, and said, "It's alright. I'm sure he means well."

"Sure," she scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Anyway. …I don't remember what we were talking about."

He did. Like he could forget but he wondered, if after all that, this was the right time to ask. The he remembered everything Natasha said about over thinking so he shook it off.

"Well I was about to ask if I could take you out on a date Friday night."

* * *

**See I told you I'd get better about posting! Two chapters in 24 hours! HA.**

**Anyway thanks for reading! Now I need you to something for me, please review. I'm not sure if I like the feel of the story, its still developing but my biggest thing is I'm not sure if I want to start writing from Eden's POV or keep it more from Steve's. So what do you think? Let me know!**

**THANKS FOR READING!**


	5. Chapter 5

Steve sat on the couch in the Avenger's Tower common area. The group was all passing the time doing their own silly little activity. Steve was sketching and trying not to think too much about his evening plans, Clint was labeling arrows, Natasha was cleaning her guns, Tony was playing on some electronic device, Pepper was in the middle of some paper work, Bruce was reading a book, and Thor, who had returned for a visit, was eating a roasted chicken.

Clint looked up from his arrows, "So, you excited for tonight Steve?"

All eyes then fell of Steve, except for Natasha's who was staring knives at Clint. Steve froze.

"Nat told me you have a big date planed."

Tony laughed, "Blast from the Past actually scored a date?"

Pepper elbowed him in the side while Natasha gave Clint a swift slap upside his head, both men said "what" in unison.

Steve sighed as he tossed his sketch pad on the coffee table, "See that's why I didn't want to tell you."

"I, for one, am happy for you," Tony laughed, "I'm surprised you waited so long. You haven't played rock in roll with a dame for centuries!"

"Hey!"

"What good news! The Captain has finally found a maiden!" Thor yelled in his booming voice.

"Well-"

"This is why you've been so happy, huh?" Bruce asked.

"I-"

"How long have been seeing her seeing her, Steve?" Pepper chimed in.

At this point Steve had given up on answering or defending himself against the seemingly rabid Avengers. He awkwardly sat there as the team all buzzed about him and his secret. Natasha caught eyes with him and she smiled, "I'd say sorry but don't you think it's about time they know."

He returned the smile and shrugged his shoulders.

Several blocks away Eden was having a hell of a time herself.

"So who is this guy, Little Eden," Noah asked his younger sister as he scratched at his arm.

Eden was tinkering in the kitchen of her small apartment, cooking to distract herself and to make her brother eat. "Steve, you barged in on us at the diner other day. He's a very nice guy."

"Oh right, the bulky guy," He leaned his head back on the couch trying to recall meeting the man his little sister was so hung up on. "Do you know anything about him? He seemed kinda weird, different…"

She smiled and thought about how that's why she liked him. Noah went on, "Well be careful. Oh, should I conveniently be out tonight? Just in case you two get hot and heavy."

"What?" she laughed, "I don't think so. Here I made you some food."

The man scowled as she placed a plate of food in front of him. "I already told you I'm not hungry, Little Eden."

"Noah, when was the last time you actually ate?"

He was quite for a second, "You know, you don't always have to act like my mom. Aren't I supposed to be taking care of you? I am the big brother after all."

"That wouldn't work, you can't cook," she smiled, "Alright, I have to get ready. Just eat a little, please?"

She made her way to her room, he picked up a spoon.

About an hour later, a knock on the door woke up Noah, who had passed out on the couch with a guitar in hand and a practically full plate of food in front of him. Still half asleep, he staggered to the door.

"Hello friend," he greeted Steve in a not so friendly way.

Steve shot him a nod and smiled, "Hello Noah, is Eden here?"

"Little Eden! Your gentleman caller is here!"

Noah twitched his head, signaling for Steve to come in. As he entered the apartment he looked around, the apartment was on the smaller side. A kitchen, filled with pristine cooking and baking supplies opened into the living area. The room was painted a soft yellow and was decorated with roses, a couple of books, and a few of pictures of family, Marilyn Monroe, and a framed flyer for a band. The space was clean except for around the couch, that area had linens and clothes strewn about, a duffle bag, a guitar leaning up against the messy sofa and a plate of old food on the coffee table. Noah picked up and put on his jacket, before leaving he stopped in front of Steve. He stood a little too close and stared at Steve with those glassy eyes, "Be good to her. She's too good."

"I don't plan on treating her anything less wonderful."

"Good. I'm gone for the night. Let her know." With that he left, stumbling a bit on his way out the door. Steve turned just as Eden was coming out of her bedroom. He almost gasped; she was wearing a tight burgundy pencil dress with a V-neck line, a black cardigan over it and black high heels. Her hair was pulled up into a French twist and her makeup was formed into perfect cat's eyes.

"Do I look alright," she asked meekly.

He smiled, pulling her into a hug, "You look beautiful."

"You're not too shabby yourself."

Dinner went amazingly well; they went to a little Italian place that Natasha helped Steve find. The food and atmosphere was romantic, Steve and Eden talked the entire time. When it over neither wanted to go home, Steve had the idea to go for a walk. The couple walked hand in hand through a darkened park, normally to Eden this activity wouldn't be safe but she felt safe with Steve. They took a seat on a bench, Eden scotching closer to Steve, using the "it's cold" excuse.

"Tell me a secret," she said softly.

"I LOVE nuts in my cookies."

They chuckled, "Gross. Now tell me a real secret."

"Alright, will you tell me one in return?" She nodded. "I haven't taken a lady out in a very long time. I didn't even think I could have these feelings again. Eden… I really about care you."

Though he couldn't see her face Steve could practically feel her smile. She snuggle a little closer to him, filling him with warmth. "I care about you too Steve."

"Will you talk to me about your brother then?"

Eden sat up and moved away from him. She shook her head, "Steve…"

"I understand if you don't want to," he took her hand, "I just want you to know you can be honest with me. Eden, I don't plan on going anywhere and I want to be there for you. Noah is obviously a huge part of your life and I'd just like to know about it."

"Alright…" she started slowly, "It's just not my favorite subject to talk about… Noah has some problems. He moved out here a couple of years before our parents died. He wasn't close to our Dad and it was really hard for him when he passed. He moved here because he thought he'd have a better chance with his music; he had dreams of becoming a rock star… I don't know where those dreams went. I moved here to be with him. But I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know when it actually happened or a lot of the details but he started doing drugs. He lost his band, his girl, and apartment. That's why he lives on my couch. I convinced him to go to rehab about a year ago. He was doing good, really good for a while."

She stopped, trying discreetly to wipe a tear away. Steve stayed silent, waiting for her to finish. "I think… I know he's using again. I just don't know what to do or how to handle it.

"And now I'm sitting in the park crying about it," she let go of his hand and wiped her face giving out a fake laugh, "I'm sorry. I hate talking about this."

Steve took her in his arms, holding her close, "You don't need to apologize for crying. Thank you for sharing this with me, it means a lot that you did."

For a moment he just held her but suddenly she moved. She sat up and faced him, "Ok. I want to end this on a good note. Can we do that? Can I just turn everything around?"

He stared back at her, questioning, "Alright…"

"Ok."

And she did. She changed everything by simply pulling herself close to him and touching her lips to his. It was a soft kiss, a perfect first kiss, and only last a second. She pulled away, sitting back down but still look at him. She smiled and almost laughed at Steve, his eyes were wide and he was quite.

"Good note?"

He nodded, "Great note." Then he put his hand in her hair and leaned in to finish the kiss that didn't last long enough the first time. This time the kiss was passionate, the warmth that Eden made Steve feel was now white hot and every worry that he ever felt was burned away. To them this passion and kiss lasts years and a millisecond, neither would ever know how long the kiss actually lasted.

"Hallo Mörder."

They parted, to see a man standing before them, posing like he was ready to pounce with a knife shining in the moonlight. It only took a second before Steve was on his feet, putting himself between the unknown attacker and Eden.

"Sie zahlen für Ihre Sünden! Der rote Schädel kommt für Sie! Hagel-Hydra!" the man screeched and drove at Steve with blade in hand. Eden screamed, feeling utterly helpless but Steve was ready. Right before her eyes, Steve kicked the knife out of his hand and tackled him to the ground. Steve screamed at him, asking what he wanted and who he worked for but he didn't get an answer. The only thing he heard was Eden scream again, whipping his head around he saw another man racing toward Eden with the knife. Leaping forward he left the man on the ground, sailing for the new assailant. Eden cringed as she heard the cracking when Steve's fist hit his face, the men toppled over the bench and on to the ground behind.

Eden jump away from the area, doing a quick search for the first attacker but he was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes fell back onto Steve, who was yelling and frantically fighting. Even though her instincts told her to, she didn't want to run. She didn't want to leave Steve. Steve took a fist to face, then a knee into his gut. The man broke free and made a run for it. Steve bounced to his feet and almost ran after him but he looked to Eden instead. She looked terrified, eyes wide with treats threatening the break through again and body starting to shake. Steve let the man run and made his way to her, taking her tightly in his arms.

"Are you alright?" he whispered. She didn't give an audible response but slowly nodded into his strong chest. "Good. Let's get you home."

Eden didn't say much on the way home, she just held on to Steve for dear life. Steve didn't say much either, his mind was racing. He didn't know who these men were or what they wanted but the whole wasn't sitting right with him. It wasn't just a random mugging.

He walked Eden to her door as she held tightly to his hand. She unlocked it and stepped inside, leaving the door open for Steve to fallow. He quickly scanned the room making sure everything was where they left it.

Eden's arms were crossed, her foot tapping, and eyes locked on a spot on the floor, "Noah's not coming home tonight is he?"

"He told me he wasn't."

"Shit."

She looked like she could start crying at any second. She looked around the room but avoided his eyes and bit down on her lip. "Steve, I know this is weird and out of line but could you please stay here tonight? I'm really freaked out and don't want to be alone. I promise this isn't line and I don't want anything to happen. But I really want you hear, holding me… I'm just scared."

Steve jumped at the sight of a tear sliding down her cheek and pulled her in his arms again, "Hey, if this where you want me, this is where I'm gonna be."

"Thank you, Steve."

She held his hand and led him to her bedroom, she never expected to ever be doing that and if so this was not the ideal situation. Never the less, she was happy that he was there for her, she felt so unbelievably safe in his arms. For all the time she's lived in the city she'd never been mugged and other than silly school fights, she had never even seen a fight.

Steve was a little uncomfortable at the thought of staying the night with Eden in her bed but when she curled up in his arms, it all flew away and he realized there was no other place he wanted to be.

"I'm sorry for how tonight ended up," he confessed, "I wanted it to be… different…"

She gave a weak smile, "Well on the bright side, we ate some great food and I got to kiss you."

He laughed and she went on, "That part was pretty great. …I don't think I thanked you yet for saving me. That was pretty great too."

"Well that's what I'm here for."

His arms tightened around her and as she fell asleep Steve laid there enjoying the smell of her hair and touch of her skin. He then felt a growing realization.

He was going to have to tell her about Captain America.


End file.
